


fools by heavenly compulsion

by princehal



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Comics), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Drinking, It makes sense, It's in London, Loki's a hot actor, M/M, Shakespeare, Smoking, Summer Romance, Tasha and Steve and Peter are all background characters, Theatre AU, Thor's a hot fan, idek alright, is that a tag, shakespeare au, smoking tw, trigger warning: smoking, ummm idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:04:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2010276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princehal/pseuds/princehal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>fic request for buckyy-barnes on tumblr</p><p> "Thor/Loki, please! Um… What about a modern no magic au where Loki is an actor (hint- Shakespeare!) and Thor is his biggest fan? Or something?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	fools by heavenly compulsion

Smoke curled in the warm air before him, drifting up into the blue, blue night. Across the river, the lights of the city glimmered, and the buzz of laughter and conversation spilled out of the open bar door. Curled in one of the chairs that adorned the piazza, Loki leaned back against the wood and idly flicked ash from the tip of his cigarette, sighing.It had been a good night, a good crowd. Lear was such a dark play, but in such a bright place, with such passionate people, the audience had left the theatre on a high. He smiled to himself, and scrolled idly through his phone, opening twitter and tapping #Lear2014 into the search bar. It was a guilty pleasure, reading the short but ever praising tweets the audience sent out. He stretched out in his chair a little, and yawned. He couldn’t stay late, tonight. They were on for the matinee again tomorrow and he had an audition in the morning.  
  
Across the water, the cathedral chimed 11 o’clock, and he stuffed his phone back into his pocket. The rest of the cast would be out soon; Tash and Peter and Steve and everybody else. It had been hot backstage, so he’d skipped the debriefing and beat the rush to the bar to roll a much needed cigarette and catch a spare moment alone.  
  
"Hi"  
  
Loki looked up. A blonde, muscular man stood in front of him, one hand resting idly on Loki’s table, smiling easily.  
  
"I’m sorry to bother you - I was in the audience. I just wanted to say, you were damn good. I’m not usually into Shakespeare but you went a way to changing my mind"  
  
Loki laughed, ran a hand through his slick black hair.  
  
"Thank you, thanks… always nice to know we’re appreciated"  
  
"Oh yeah, definitely - I definitely appreciated it" The blonde man swung himself easily into a chair, placing his beer bottle on the table with a sharp thunk. "I’m Thor, by the way."  
  
"Loki" Loki offered his hand, and Thor shook it, smiled. "Nice to meet you, Thor. So - " He sat up properly in his chair, resting an elbow on the table. "If you don’t really like Shakespeare, what brings you here? Seems a little contradictory".  
  
Chatter from inside the bar drifted over their heads and the light from the piazza lights glowed warm and soft. Several tables stood on the paving around them, and most were full or filling up, bright eyed theatre goers and makers lured out by the soft summer air, clutching drinks and purses and each other.  
  
"Well… I’ve always been interested in King Lear. We had to read it at school, and I don’t know why, but the storyline about the brothers, I find it fascinating. I’m only in town briefly so I thought I’d spend an evening at the theatre. Educate myself" Thor’s eyes were very blue, Loki noticed absently.  
  
"Right, right; Edmund and Edgar" he nodded, "My storyline, in fact" He rested his chin on one hand, gazing absently. His movements were soft and angular and precise, and it was as though he was unaware of the inherent sexuality in his long limbs and delicate features. He smiled at Thor, awaiting a response.  
  
"Yes, yeah. Funny, it proved - in action - even more interesting that I imagined it to be".  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
Thor laughed. His laugh was open, easy and welcoming, and Loki felt relaxed, somehow at home. “You were very good. Illuminating”  
  
Loki laughed too, glancing up at Thor beneath long lashes. “What can I say - I do as much as I can. I mean, Shakespeare, he provides the words, we just try to… share them. And not fuck them up too badly”  
  
Thor laughed again, and Loki felt something warm in his middle, unable to suppress the smile that blossomed on his lips.  
  
"Loki!" Tash slid out of the doorway, coat slung over one arm, a pint clutched in the other. She wove her way between the tables and pulled up a chair, dumping her bag on the floor and breathing a sigh of relief. "I couldn’t spot you inside so I headed on out, you ok? You know you’re not supposed to skip the debriefing"  
  
"I’m fine, I just couldn’t sit through the same thing again tonight. This is Thor, by the way- "  
  
Tash glanced up, a curl of hair springing in front of her face. “Thor - hi, I’m Tash. Are you a friend of Loki’s?”  
  
"More an admirer - I was in the audience tonight, I was just sharing my… appreciation"  
  
Rummaging through her bag one handed, Tash laughed, dumping filters and a bag of loose tobacco on the table. “This one? He’s already big headed enough, take care you don’t go overboard”.  
  
"I’ll try and contain myself" Thor grinned, taking a swig from his bottle.  
  
"Steve’s just on his way out, by the way" Tash said to Loki. "He got caught by a bunch of autograph hunters in the foyer, and you know what he’s like. He won’t leave until they all have a signature, a picture, and a promise to name his children after them. You want one?" She indicated the rollie between her slender fingers.  
  
"I just had one, I’m good"  
  
"That’s alright, I don’t smoke. But thank you". This from Thor, at ease amidst two strangers in the centre of a new city.  
  
"No problem" said Tash, leaning over to meet the flame Loki proffered. "So… what’d you like about the show?"  
  
"Well, I was just telling Loki here I’m particularly interested in the brothers storyline"  
  
"Oh yeah, sure. He makes an excellent Edmund, doesn’t he? So convincing as the evil bastard brother" She waved an arm dramatically, a smile on her lips.  
  
Loki grinned. “I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not”  
  
"Good, I don’t want you getting cocky"  
  
Loki held up his hands, at faux gun point. “I don’t think there’s any danger of that with you around”.  
  
"Tash!" Steve’s blonde head appeared in the doorway. "Hey-" he waved, gesturing her to come over.  
  
"Oh boy… what is it?" She called, settling back in her chair.  
  
"There’s a really great guy out here - he came to meet you specifically, I said you wouldn’t mind signing his programme?" Steve grinned boyishly. "Would you… ?"  
  
"Steve! You gotta stop being so kind on my behalf" Tash complained, but she pulled herself out of her seat and started across the piazza, calling back, "Watch my stuff, ok? This won’t take long".  
  
A little silence slid over the pair at the table, and a passing waitress collected Thor’s empty bottle.  
  
"They seem nice" Thor said brightly.  
  
Loki nodded “Yeah, it’s a really great bunch of people”.  
  
"It certainly appears that way". Thor smiled "Listen - can I buy you a drink?"  
  
A warm breeze chased across the piazza and blew strands of Loki’s hair across his face. In the street below, someone laughed, and the light playing off the Thames seemed somehow brighter. He bit his lip, gazed at the man before him.  
  
"That sounds… great. Sure. House red"  
  
Thor nodded, grinning and disappeared into the bar. Loki smiled to himself, tapping his fingers absently on the warm wood before him. Perhaps he would be staying quite late tonight, after all.


End file.
